Coating of active materials with conductive layers has been widely investigated as a means for improving conductivity and performance. The majority of these coatings are formed through a high temperature graphitization process. In a traditional graphitization process, the active materials are coated with a precursor which upon high temperature exposure is graphitized to form a thin, very electrically conductive layer on the surface of the particles. For thermally stable materials, such as LiFePO4, a traditional graphitization process is effective in improving the electrical conductivity and the resulting electrode performance. However, for less stable materials, such as LiNixCoyAlzO2(NCA) or silicon, the high temperature processing can lead to interfacial reactions that inhibit the performance of the final processed material. Finally, the traditional high temperature coating process results in a dense electrically conductive layer that does not enable, and moreover may inhibit ion transport. Efficient electrochemical performance requires rapid electron and ion flow which the traditional high temperature processes do not provide.